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French and Indian war
The French and the British were both trying to claim similar land area and conflict arose. This sparked a war. The Indians sided with the French. The British won the war, however, they were put into deep debt. They had to demand higher revenue from the colonies, which the colonists of course did not appreciate. -
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american revolution
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Treaty of Paris 1763
The Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France, as well as their respective allies. In the terms of the treaty, France gave up all its territories in mainland North America, effectively ending any foreign military threat to the British colonies there. -
Writ of Assistance
In response, the British officials in the colonies called for a crackdown on smuggling. In 1760, governor Bernard of Massachusetts authorized the use by revenue officers of writs of assistance. Writs of assistance were documents which served as a general search warrant, allowing customs officials to enter any ship or building that they suspected for any reason might hold smuggled goods. -
Proclamation of 1763
On October 7, 1763, King George III signed the Proclamation of 1763. This prohibited all settlemrnt west of the Appalachan Mountains. Many colonists took great offense to this order. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was the first of many, many acts issued by the Parliament of Great Britain. It raised revenue by increasing duties on sugar imported from the West Indies. Colonists were upset with this, as it would cut down on their profits as well as raise the price that customers pay. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was yet another act signed by the king. This time, they required tax stamps on many more things and documents including playing cards, newspapers, and marriage licenses. In response, colonists united to defy the law, Sons of Liberty were formed. -
Sons and Liberty/ Samuel Adams
The colonists were fed up with being told what to do by people all the way across the Atlantic. They tried fighting back by forming the Sons and Daughters of Liberty and imposing non-importation agreements. The Sons of Liberty were led by figures like Samuel Adams -
Declaratory Act
The declaration stated that the Parliament's authority was the same in America as in Britain and asserted Parliament's authority to pass laws that were binding on the American colonies. -
Townshend Act
The British Parliament just kept on going with the taxes. On November 20, 1767, the Townshend Acts were passed. This put taxes on things such as glass, paper, and even tea. The colonists were upset with this and smuggled to try and avoid the tax. -
Boston Massacre
Colonists and British soldiers openly clashed in Boston on the fifth day of March in 1770. Although people are not completely sure how or why it started, this was a good example of British cruelty. As shots were fired, five colonists were killed. -
Intolerable Acts
Passed by Parliament, Boston Harbor was closed. British soldiers allowed to house themselves in other people's homes(Quartering Act). General Gage appointed governor of Massachusetts then he placed Boston under martial law. -
First continental congress
First time representatives came together(colonists able to protect themselves). Representatives in all colonies except Georgia. This occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was the final straw in a series of unpopular policies and taxes imposed by Britain on her American colonies. The policy ignited a “powder keg” of opposition and resentment among American colonists and was the catalyst of the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
By now, the colonists were ready to rebel. Now that tea was taxed, they came up with quite the idea. A large group of colonists disguised themselves as Indians and dumped crate after crate after crate of tea from a docked ship into the Boston Harbor. -
Publication of Common Sense
"Common Sense" was written by Thomas Paine, in it he listed several events that actually happened. Some of his details were even included in the Declaration of Independence. "Common Sense" encouraged independence. -
Minutemen
civilian soldiers who pledged to be ready to fight against the British on a minute's notice, equipped with firearms and gunpowder. -
Midnight Riders
The Midnight Riders were a group that were responsible with warning the citizens of the incoming British. Contrary to popular belief, Paul Revere wasn't the only rider. Revere was accompanied by 4 others(Samuel Prescott, Israel Bissell, William Dawes, and Sybil Ludington.) -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the altercation that initiated the Revolutionary War. The British declared that Massachusetts was in a state of rebellion, attempting to confiscate their weapons. -
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the ex-British colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in their revolt against the rule of Great Britain. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in the battle. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 5, 1775 and signed on July 8 in a final attempt to avoid war between Great Britain and the Thirteen Colonies in America. -
John Locke's social contract
The belief that people have the natural rights of life, liberty, and property -
Second Continental Congress
Delegates from the Colonies met in Philadelphia, PA. The second Congress managed the colonial war efforts, and moved towards independence by adopting the Declaration of Independence. -
Declaration of Independence
Written after battles of Lexington and Concord and explained why colonies had a right to declare their independence. Written by Thomas Jefferson with philosophical influences by John Locke. -
Loyalists and Patriots
Loyalists and Patriots were the 2 parties that split the colonists. Loyalists wanted to remain loyal to Britain, while Patriots wanted the colonies to gain Independence from Britain -
Battle of Trenton
The battle of trenton took place on December 25-26, 1776. Washington led members of the Continental Army across the icy Delaware river in a surprise attack. Even in the harsh conditions, Washington and his men were able to defeat the Redcoats. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was a British invasion led by British general John Burgoyne on September 9th and October 7th, 1777. Burgoyne led his men southward from Canada in the Champlain Valley, hoping to meet a similar British force marching northward from New York City and another British force marching eastward from Lake Ontario. However, the southern and western forces never arrived, and Burgoyne was surrounded by American forces in upstate New York. After being trapped, Burgoyne surrendered. -
Valley Forge
Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight military encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington. Washington led 12,000 men to a camp 18 miles from Philadelphia, which was recaptured by the British. Up to 2,000 of these men died as a result to the harsh conditions -
French-American alliance
The French and American formed an alliance with the Treaty of Alliance of 1778. This defensive alliance promised mutual military support in case fighting should break out between French and British forces. -
Friedrich von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
Friedrich von Steuben was a Prussian military officer. He arrived at Valley Forge and began training the soldiers and uplifted the demoralized soldiers. Lafayette was a French aristocrat and military officer who commanded troops in crucial battles such as the Siege of Yorktown. -
British victories in the South
After the British began to shift their strategic focus towards the American Southern Colonies, the Siege of Charleston was one of the major battles which took place towards the end of the American Revolutionary War. After about six weeks of siege, Continental Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered forces numbering about 5,000 to the British. It was the biggest loss of troops suffered by the Continental Army in the war. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis. The culmination of the Yorktown campaign, it proved to be the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War in North America, as the surrender of Cornwallis' army prompted the British government eventually to negotiate an end to the conflict. -
Treaty of Paris
The treaty of Paris was the treaty that put an end to the Revolutionary War, granting the colonists Independence from the British
